Puberty, Privacy, and Policy
The High-Stakes Battle Over Transgender Healthcare
On December 11, the Montana Supreme Court temporarily blocked SB99, a law that sought to ban gender-affirming care for transgender youth, citing state constitutional privacy protections. At the same time, the United Kingdom announced it was indefinitely extending a ban on new prescriptions of puberty blockers—except in clinical trials—due to insufficient safety data, aligning with broader European policy shifts toward more restrictive approaches for minors with gender dysphoria. These divergent decisions underscore the complex global landscape of transgender healthcare as the U.S. Supreme Court prepares to rule on U.S. v. Skrmetti, a lawsuit challenging Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for transgender children.
Tennessee’s SB1 bans puberty blockers, hormone therapies, and surgeries for transgender minors, while permitting the same treatments for children who identify with their assigned sex at birth. The Supreme Court is set to determine whether SB1 violates the Equal Protection Clause by treating individuals differently based on sex, and whether the state has a compelling interest in regulating these treatments due to safety concerns. The Court’s ruling could profoundly impact transgender healthcare policies nationwide. A decision upholding Tennessee’s law could embolden other conservative states to impose similar bans, creating a fragmented healthcare landscape across the country. Conversely, striking down the law could set a landmark legal precedent safeguarding transgender minors’ medical autonomy.
The stakes are high for the approximately 300,000 transgender youth aged 13–17 in the United States, where 24 states have already banned all gender-affirming treatments, and 2 states have prohibited surgeries. These adolescents face considerable challenges: nearly 50% report depression, and over 40% have seriously considered suicide.
The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association continue to advocate for individualized, medical gender-affirming treatment, emphasizing its role in reducing mental health risks. They also urge states to refrain from interfering in private medical decisions. However, other countries including Sweden, France, Norway, and the Netherlands, where puberty blocking treatment was first innovated, have recently adopted a more cautious stance, advocating psychological support for gender dysphoria while awaiting further research on the long-term safety and efficacy of puberty blockers and hormones.
What do you think? Should the state play a role in the medical decisions of transgender children and their parents?
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Just like with all healthcare, there should be a baseline of equality for all Americans. Why should citizens of some states have fewer rights and more restrictions than those in other states?
Whether you agree with trans healthcare or not, can't we all agree that parents and doctors should get to make the best choices for the health and safety of their children?
Republican party, If you lower your standards, we can meet them!
Causes asked, "Should the state play a role in the medical decisions of transgender children and their parents?"
No.
Politicizing health issues is always a bad idea.
However, it is not a simple matter when imbeciles are involved eg.
Recall the COVID-19 fights with vaccinations, mask wearing, limiting in person contacts, etc.
The there was sitting under bright lights and drinking detergent.
My least favorite was pretending COVID-19 was not a real health concern.
Here's what really concerns me and it concerns me a lot. We're talking about the debt of the government and laying off workers in the government to alleviate that debt. Well, let's just take a look at one example of where that debt came from is an absolute fact and anyone can look it up every man woman and child even a one day old child and 100 year old person has given Elon Musk $100 plus Out of their pockets. That's everyone in America has paid Elon Musk $100! And this man who made himself into the richest person in the world off of that gets to decide who loses their jobs! I don't know that looks pretty funny to me. It looks pretty illegal to me.
Healthcare decisions should be between patients and healthcare providers.
There are already sufficient regulation of these decisions.
1) if the patient is a minor or has finished capacity then a parent or guardian needs to decide
2) healthcare providers are limited to FDA approved drugs and treatment procedures and need to follow clinical practice guidelines that their professional associations agree too
3) errors and bad decisions can be reviewed by state medical boards, or in civil and criminal courts.
In addition the trans population in the U.S. is less than 1% of the population (0.6%).
Why is so much campaign, legislative, political time spent on so few individuals which doesn't affect anyone else when the majority of the population is concerned about prices at the grocery store which nothing is being done about, and a major change in drug pricing for pbm's was removed from the CR by Musk, RamaSwampy (Ramaswamy) and Trump?
https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2024/12/19/as-trump-tanks-spending-deal-pharmacists-bemoan-possible-loss-of-middleman-reforms/
https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/publications/trans-adults-united-states/
Republicans are scrambling to hide Trump involvement! It's revenge!
State Department announces $7 billion arms sale to Israel, circumventing review process
anarchy reigns
random firings, wrecking gutting institutions, retributions, grand theft
aren't you excited maga!?
thanks congress
thanks scotus
dream come true for russia & china
they don't have to lift a finger...just step back and watch these clowns in amazement
I read it wrong, who are these judgemental ignorant ppl? How dare they make life altering decisions for ppl they have no connection too! Not suprised, abortion, trans, drugs, reading & learning! I would think we would be in age of enlightenment! The EVANGELICALS have helped to destroy our democracy! Tell them that ELON is AUTISTIC, his eldest daughter is trans & all 14 of his children are IVF! But, that doesn't matter, oh & their dear leader is goingt to sell them off to the highest bidder!
I thought GOP was about small government & national security! Ha ha they have lied for ever
The Supreme Court who?
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The short Tesla and the tall Tesla
Stay out of trans people's business! Respect trans lives.
Here a man that needs to be deported, Tom Homan! Trump wife and son need to be deported as well!
Those kids are getting fat off of school lunches anyway, even if it you are poor and in many cases it's the only meat you get a day!
So much for CO2 plants that help clean the air you breathe and endanger species! Which may be you?
Their plan is to privatize healthcare to insurance companies! The same insurance companies that deny you coverage!
This was his plan all along to be able to create a national emergency as a power grab and eventually gain control of Congress and Supreme Court! All in the name of national emergency!
That is not true! The democrats plan is taxes the billionaires and have them pay their fair share in taxes, tariffs hurt the poor and middle income 99% . Republicans want to privatize social security and Medicare like an insurance company, we seen how well that work, not!
Don't tell the MAGA group!
Trump going to use taxpayer money to save Elon Musk Tesla business, what a waste of taxpayer money !!!!!!!!!!!
Do you miss Biden yet?
He bullies his way on the rules, no matter what it is! Rule, regulation and even laws.
I don't think that a birthmark!
The voter that voter for Trump only need to look in the mirror!
On tariff, So much for free market, competition and capitalism? This is just one of many thing at will screw the middle class and the poor, just making more homeless people to help the billionaires, not pay their fair share in taxes! Shut up and be happy!
Trump screwed over the farmers water reservoir because of in CA LA fire, instead of asking if it would help, he just order the dam be open, which goes out to the ocean! Another knee jerk operation! Do worry he surrounded himself with the mose incompetent people he could find!
I am really sick and discussed that congress has allowed Trump to fire the government watchdogs, the very people that Congress established to watch that the government follows the rules!
Representive Finstad has been silent! When is Finstad going to get a backbone and represent the people in the first district!
We need these people to be reinstated to do their job looking out for the tax payers!
This is not about any political agenda, it's about following the law on how our tax dollars are spent per the laws Congress has passed!
Trump's contumacious disregard of ruling and the law, court issued five times the order, not two as Alito said!. Congress award the aid and Congress pass the law: the president has to follow the law! Apparently the four wackos on the Supreme Court can't read!